Maidstone Museum Local Heritage Week: Fortresses of Power: Exploring the Castles of Medieval Kent

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From royal strongholds to local lords — what Kent’s castles reveal about power, strategy, and identity in the medieval world.

Kent contains some of Britain’s most remarkable medieval castles, guarding the route between London and Dover and reflecting centuries of military and political change.

In this talk, medieval historian Richard Eales — who taught at the University of Kent and is a published authority on Norman Kent, castles, and the Domesday Book — traces their development from the Norman Conquest through to the 15th century. Were they military bastions, status symbols, or administrative centres? Often all three. A rich and scholarly evening for anyone with an interest in local or medieval history.